Colmar

Colmar is a commune in the Grand Est region of northeastern France and the prefecture of the Haut-Rhin department. It lies in Alsace, near the Vosges mountains and the Rhine frontier, in the heart of the Alsace wine country. The city’s historic center is renowned for its well-preserved medieval and early modern architecture, with a network of canals and numerous half-timbered houses. The district known as Little Venice forms along the Lauch river and its canals.

Key sites include the Unterlinden Museum, housed in a former 13th-century Dominican convent, which contains the Isenheim Altarpiece, a major Renaissance work. Other notable landmarks are the Pfister House, a 16th-century Alsatian Renaissance residence, the Maison des Têtes with its carved heads on the façade, and the Saint-Martin Collegiate Church.

Colmar has a strong cultural identity in the arts. It is the birthplace of sculptor Auguste Bartholdi, and the Bartholdi Museum presents his life and works. The town also hosts a popular Christmas market and serves as a gateway to the Alsace wine route.

Historically, Colmar developed as a key medieval town and became part of France in 1648 after the Treaty of Westphalia; it experienced periods of German rule from 1871 to 1918 and during World War II. Today, tourism is a major part of the economy, and Colmar is connected by rail and road to the broader region.